A group of community members discuss plans over a table.

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Planning

Helping communities plan for the future

Effective Planning for Risk Reduction

The Hudson River Estuary Program and its partners work to engage, educate, and empower communities to prepare for climate change through adaptation and resilience planning. Climate adaptation and resilience plans provide a blueprint that communities can follow to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather. 

Implementation of climate adaptation and resilience plans helps governments, neighborhoods, and municipal infrastructure to recover quickly from storms and other climate-related disruptions. The best plans address government operations and community needs, while emphasizing equitable engagement to prioritize solutions that are supported by residents.

Climate adaptation and resilience plans are important because they help communities to: 

  • Identify and address vulnerabilities. 
  • Prioritize actions to reduce risk.  
  • Access expertise and adaptation funding.  

Assistance for Hudson Valley communities

The Hudson River Estuary Program provides adaptation and resilience planning assistance to Hudson Valley communities in coordination with partners. 

  • The Hudson Valley Regional Council's Climate Action Planning Institute (CAPI) Adaptation Program helps participating communities conduct climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension's Climate Resilience Partnership supports Hudson Valley municipalities pursuing Climate Smart Communities certification and climate adaptation planning.
  • The Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network and Pace University Land Use Law Center provides municipalities participating in their Land Use Leadership Alliance Training with resilience assessments using the Resilience Implementation and Strategic Enhancements (RISE) Local Assessment Tool, developed by FEMA and the U.S. EPA.

Adaptation and Resilience Plan examples

Adaptation and resilience plans are local plans that reflect the needs of local communities. They are flexible plans that can have different names and focus areas, but they all share a similar intent - to protect residents and infrastructure, and to address climate-related threats proactively. 

Resources for Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning

There are a variety of resources available to guide and assist municipalities with Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning. 

  • New York State has produced a statewide adaptation and resilience plan, and is encouraging municipalities to complete local plans.
  • The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) provides guidance, tools and resources to assist communities in addressing extreme heat, heavy precipitation events, and other climate impacts.
  • The NYS Climate Smart Communities program offers guidance,  free technical assistance, and grants to local communities.

Climate Smart Communities Videos

Play Climate Smart Communities Videos

To view more videos, visit the Climate Smart Communities playlist on YouTube.